State of the climate in 2011

[Vergent]

http://www1.ncdc.noa...ctic-lo-rez.pdf

[WeatherRusty]

Here is a NOAA summary page for the report:

Back-to-back La Niñas cooled globe and influenced extreme weather in 2011

[donsutherland1]

Here is a NOAA summary page for the report:

Back-to-back La Niñas cooled globe and influenced extreme weather in 2011

The La Niñas helped keep a lid on global temperatures. The land anomaly was the 8th warmest on record. The ocean anomaly was the 12th warmest on record. The land and ocean anomaly was 11th warmest. Dramatic warming in the Arctic region continued.

[WeatherRusty]

The La Niñas helped keep a lid on global temperatures. The land anomaly was the 8th warmest on record. The ocean anomaly was the 12th warmest on record. The land and ocean anomaly was 11th warmest. Dramatic warming in the Arctic region continued.

In contrast to what some of our skeptic friends would have us believe (SST and OHC not increasing over the past decade), I note this finding:

Sea surface temperature & ocean heat content rise: Even with La Niña conditions occurring during most of the year, the 2011 global sea surface temperature was among the 12 highest years on record. Ocean heat content, measured from the surface to 2,300 feet deep, continued to rise since records began in 1993 and was record high.

One party or the other is obviously in error with regard to this very important finding.

Is that party NOAA or the skeptics?

[donsutherland1]

In contrast to what some of our skeptic friends would have us believe (SST and OHC not increasing over the past decade), I note this finding:

Sea surface temperature & ocean heat content rise: Even with La Niña conditions occurring during most of the year, the 2011 global sea surface temperature was among the 12 highest years on record. Ocean heat content, measured from the surface to 2,300 feet deep, continued to rise since records began in 1993 and was record high.

One party or the other is obviously in error with regard to this very important finding.

Is that party NOAA or the skeptics?

This finding is not a surprise except perhaps to those who assumed incorrectly that the energy imbalance had disappeared. This conclusion is consistent with Hansen's work showing the existence of a persistent and large energy imbalance despite the recent deep and prolonged solar minimum.